Americans would work four days a week “with no loss of pay” if Bernie Sanders had his way.
The independent senator from Vermont touted a British pilot project in which some companies successfully experimented with a four-day workweek.
“With exploding technology and increased worker productivity, it’s time to move toward a four-day work week with no loss of pay,” the former Democratic Party presidential candidate tweeted on Tuesday.
“Workers must benefit from technology, not just corporate CEOs.”
Sanders was responding on Twitter to a news story detailing how most of the 61 British companies who participated in a massive, six-month trial in which they adopted a four-day schedule have no plans to return to the five-day workweek.
An astounding 91% of the companies said they planned to stick to the four-day workweek after firms reported an increase in productivity, a boost in revenue, more hiring, and a decrease in employee turnover.
The study found that some 71% of workers reported a decrease in burnout while 39% said they felt less stressed compared to when they worked five days per week.
The study’s organizers said the six-month trial was the world’s largest of its kind to date. Smaller trials at companies based in the US and Canada were recently completed, according to the Journal.
Similar trials have taken place in other countries, including Spain, New Zealand, and Iceland. More are scheduled to run in Canada and Australia.
A four-year trial conducted by the Icelandic government and the city of Reykjavik found that four-day workweeks lead to maintained or increased productivity.
Supporters of the four-day work week hope that more companies will adopt the model as a way to retain talent — particularly in the wake of “the Great Resignation,” during which millions of Americans have left their jobs.
But employers and economists aren’t so thrilled with the idea of a four-day work week, saying that it will only benefit white-collar workers.